Connected TVs are one step closer to receiving second screen support so TV viewers can have an interactive experience

Content identification company Vobile today launched its TVSync Connected TV API platform, designed to enhance connected TVs and second screen applications for consumers.

Advertisers and marketers are banking heavily on the growth of second screen, which allows viewers to use a smartphone, tablet or ‘second’ device to interact with the content they are watching.

For example, if a viewer is watching a cooking show, it’ll be possible to use a second screen to immediately discover recipes and ingredient information while still watching the show. Viewers are already interacting with content by using their smartphones to discuss content via social networking sites, but second screen takes that a step further.

Analysts predict there will be over 500 billion hours of video available on more than 12 billion connected devices by 2015, so the market will largely be open to early innovators.

The launch of Vobile’s TVSync is a bit different from other projects because the new technology is designed for use across multiple platforms.

“TV audiences are already using multiple connected devices to access content related to their favorite shows,” DailyTech was recently told by Vobile. “Launching TVSync across these different platforms—smartphones tablets, smartTVs, laptops—ensures that consumers are able to interactive the content they're looking for from whichever device they happen to be using.”

Vobile is utilizing a more open developer platform so the connected TV is brought to smartphone, tablet, PC and SmarTV viewers. It’s “available to broadcasters, cable companies, publishers, content providers and others, TVSync’s open API leverages the best video and audio ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) technology of the industry leader Vobile, named VDNA®, to facilitate exciting new applications that synchronize, in real time, to the content a user is consuming.”

Trying to keep up with new technological breakthroughs from Apple iOS or Google Android can be difficult, but Vobile believes it will be ready.

“The beauty/efficiency of our open API/SDK platform is that it is device agnostic and OS agnostic because the magic (the most critical part of the content identification, i.e. the mathematics calculations) happens in the cloud, etc . . . Keeping up with evolving mobile OS platforms isn't as big a challenge when we remove the requirements of our service from the devices themselves. Our API also use certain iOS/Android basic APIs. But those APIs are the very basic and matured APIs of the OS, such as turn on the camera/mic, so that they would not change as the rest of the OS evolves.”

Vobile believes TVSync is “well positioned to take advantage of the growing consumption trends on smart devices. Our unique video recognition capabilities will continue to set us apart from the competition. Other players in the ACR space focus on audio identification only, while Vobile offers video, image, and audio recognition.”

As for what Vobile hopes from TVSync the rest of the year, they have a clear plan: “Broader adoption across multiple countries, more partners across mobile apps (for second-screen development), tighter integrations with SmarTV platforms, and deeper engagement with third-party developers.”

Dedicated second screen is an emerging technology that will continue to gain steam as more connected TVs are sold. TV manufacturers, game console makers, advertisers and content distributors, along with consumers have another opportunity to work together and help contribute to a growing technology.